Archive for the 'life' Category

My grandfather apparently went to the most awesome yardsale of all time, his haul from which included a five dollar antique sewing machine and the following little treat:

The box says that they are garnish/vegetable cutters in the shape of a star, a heart, an airplane, a clover, and a chicken. I’m thinking garnishes made of chocolate are more up my alley than carrots, but who knows? Aren’t they the cutest things ever?

Bottom view:

I don’t know when this set was made, but it is most decidedly and awesomely vintage. Every girl needs a grandpa to yardsale for her.

I spent a good part of yesterday looking around online for (preferably free) cross stitch patterns to use for geeky Christmas projects, and didn’t come up with all that many, and certainly didn’t find any books along those lines. Craft companies out there, a niche market awaits you! Up and coming crafters in their 20’s and younger are not interested in making samplers with little old lady flowers and cute cottages on them, we really want to stitch up some zombies and Tardises (or whatever the plural of Tardis might be).

Since that effort was a bust I will instead share my fabric finds of the last few days:

Elephants and Camels

Cutest hedgehogs in existence

And some from my trip to Japan over the summer (that I have not shared heretofore):

Japan fabric haul part 1

Japan fabric haul part 2

And since it is the season for food here are some pictures of my family Thanksgiving at my grandparent’s place out in the back of beyond:

I recently took advantage of Amazon’s deal of the day and ordered the first four seasons of the new Who – they were a killer 30 bucks a season instead of the usual 80 plus, so who could say no to that? Obviously since I should be spending money on friends and family and getting Christmas presents I instead jumped all over the sale. When it comes to the Doctor priorities must shift.

Since I knew I would be spending lots of mind numbing quality time with the family I brought the first series home to my mother’s with me. I knew she would like to see it because we generally have similar taste in a lot of entertainment, but watching tv with her is a continual exercise in biting your tongue. She has an unparalleled ability to ask the obvious question in the scene just before it is about to be answered.

“I wonder if she is really an alien?”

“You think he is going to die?”

“Why doesn’t he just use his screwdriver thingy?”

All valid questions, but if you have ever seen any tv show ever you know you are about to find out, so why vocalize them? Yeesh.

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While watching the special features for series two I quite enjoyed the part of the David Tennant video diary where he takes the camera home to Scotland and films his family’s reaction to his appearance in the Christmas special. Mostly they are not too terribly excited (he’d been in a lot of stuff by this point), but he best part is when his mom whips out a somewhat terrifiying cross stitch portrait of him that was lovingly created and bestowed on her by one of her friends. He seemed unsure if he should be impressed or frightened, and I can’t say I blame him.

None of which stopped me from having to force myself not to immediately download and start working on this masterpiece when I stumbled across it later that day:

Believe it or not I wasn’t searching for this in particular but rather geeky cross stitch patterns in general. If you ask me there are far too many kitten patterns out there and far too few David Tennant’s. I expect anyone reading this to do all they can to rectify the situation. Mankind needs you.

I went through a period where posting here was almost therapeutic, and doing it at work for a time made me feel like I was getting away with something which was fun. For the last year I’ve been going through a lot of changes – I got a job I mostly like close enough to live in the city I mostly love, and it seems like things couldn’t help but look up.

Mostly they have, but here lately I’ve been feeling that itch again. The feeling that it isn’t quite enough to have a good job and good friends, that there is something more out there, that I should be travelling (though I have no vacation time), writing (though I have mediocre ability) and loving (though my dating prospects are worse than blah right now).

I’ve caught myself a couple of times in the last few weeks acting crazy around my friends. I complain that I don’t go out enough but don’t accept invitations, or I change my mind about what I want to do several times in an evening, or I just let my social anxieties take over and don’t express myself at all.

The fix for all of these things seems easy on the surface. Do more, be more, think more, dream more. Follow through on goals. Be the friend you want others to be for you. And actually, if I listed out my accomplishments for the last year I would probably surprise myself. I am a home owner, I took a major step forward career wise, I took a dream trip to Tokyo, I get to see my friends more now than I ever did in my old city, and I made some super awesome cupcakes. None of those things are to be taken lightly. Especially the cupcakes.

This year has been one of those change-it-all-up type of things, and right now as I sit in the apartment where I am temporarily renting a room from someone I barely new a few weeks ago, I’m a little overwhelmed by everything that has gone on. Most of it has been good, for which I am supremely grateful, and I hope that this coming year will bring much more of the same.

I spent this New Year’s day mostly alone, and if how you spend the first day of the year provides a foretelling of how the rest will go I think I could do much worse. I read, I played a videogame, I went and hiked about 5 miles around a local lake, and I expect to shortly work on improving my fake drumming skills in a Rock Band jam session. I talked to friends and family, I ate some chocolate, and cookies may be on the agenda. So far, I like the new year just fine.

Here are some pictures from my walk – I hope that your day was as peaceful!

Surprisingly enough, I’m not dead. I haven’t renounced all things scifi, I still know how to turn on a computer, and my friends still laugh when I opine about Neil Gaiman.

What did happen is a long, long period of feeling completely uncreative. It seemed like everyone in my life actually had one but me, and every time I started to muster the motivation to post it seemed like I just didn’t have the mental energy.

So, here’s the short and sweet idea of how things have been for me the last few months, and then perhaps I can get back to business as usual.

In July I went to Las Vegas with some friends to see the Star Trek Experience before it closed. I gambled exactly 1 dollar in a casino so I could say I had, got sunburned walking the Hoover Dam, and drank something with dry ice in Quark’s bar that emitted many satisfying clouds of spacey vapor. Much fun was had by all, and I have some lovely Starfleet earrings to remember the experience by.

In August I applied for and obtained a new position at a VERY big company. Better benefits, better money, and I got to move back to the town I loved to live in when I was here for graduate school – and would never have left if not for the former fiance. Currently I am couchsurfing at various friend’s houses, trying to save up some money before I find a place of my own. Mom is keeping the dog and cat for me, and I really miss them!

I also miss my niece and nephew, both of whom turned 1 recently. Cute doesn’t even begin to describe them.

I’ve finally made it through all seasons of Buffy, Angel, and the comic. Almost twice in fact. How did I not know about this when it was on air originally?

Right now I’m really focused on trying to do well at my new job – it is very different from what I’m used to, and I want to make a good impression and be able to be proud of myself. I’ve already had to learn lots of new things, which is what I wanted – my old job had lost some of its challenge, even though I mostly liked it and I had some really good friends there.

And… it’s about time for me to call it a night! I’m attempting to stay off the computer for an hour before I sleep… we’ll see how long that lasts.🙂

I watched it for the eleventy-billionth time last night, my local lovely Target had the dvd for 5 bucks, quite a steal.

Observations:

Hugh Laurie is eternally awesome (I didn’t remember that he was Mr. Palmer. I mean I did, but I didn’t, you know? Is there anything that he isn’t amazing in?)

Emma Thompson holds more talent in her left toe than me and my entire family, including the third cousin who is a somewhat well known song writer.

Alan Rickman is so much more attractive to me now than when I was 13. At least in this movie – not feeling the whole Snape thing.

Ang Lee directs things you would not expect.

I cried at the end. Again. As always.

Long story short: I still *heart* this movie. It is on the shortlist of things that I could leave on an endless loop and never get tired of watching. I think since I am lacking my very own valentine, I will have myself a nice little Jane Austen marathon and dream of large estates in the English countryside.